Cicero tweaks towing policy

August 11, 2009

A Cicero church-based community organization claimed victory today after town trustees passed an ordinance that revises the towing policy in the near western suburb.

Since February, members of the Interfaith Leadership Project have demanded that town officials and Tuff Car Co., which is part-owned by the town attorney's father-in-law, halt towing on street-sweeping days and issue tickets instead, similar to most other communities. In March, the organization presented a petition to the town council with 1,500 signatures. Interfaith also held a protest outside Tuff Car last month.

A town spokesman said officials now will issue three tickets before towing a vehicle illegally parked on street-sweeping days during a calendar year beginning Sept. 1. Town officials, however, also decided to double the ticket costs to $50 and to include street cleaning during winter months. The average fee to get a car out of lockup is about $175, according to Interfaith officials. Fees are higher for larger vehicles.

"It was a win for the town residents," said Andy Amato, a member of Interfaith, which has accused the town's towing practices of being too aggressive. "It releases the stranglehold the town had on us for street cleaning. It would have been better if towing was completely eliminated but they decided to meet us halfway. At least the new ordinance will make it easier on residents."

Interfaith members said they sat down with town officials several months ago to draft an ordinance. But group members said their efforts were quashed when town officials tried to weaken the proposal and presented another ordinance in June.

At that time, Cicero Trustee Dennis Raleigh said the proposal was drafted by the town's public relations firm, Urquhart Media, and the town attorney's office. Jeff Davis, a principal at Urquhart Media, has denied that his firm had anything to do with the drafting of the ordinance. Raleigh, who wanted to change the town's towing policy, deferred action on the measure.

Frustrated by the outcome, Interfaith officials organized a protest outside Tuff Car in July. About 50 people at the protest chanted, "Clean our streets, not our pockets" and held signs that read, "No more towing." Town Atty. Michael Del Galdo's father-in-law, Eugene Potempa, is an owner of Tuff Car.

Cicero Trustee Maria Punzo-Arias reminded residents at the meeting that street sweeping will continue. "We are pleading with our residents to move their cars so that Cicero will continue to have clean streets," she said.

Raleigh, who has become frustrated over the last several weeks with Interfaith, said the group had no influence on the board to enact the new towing ordinance.

"Our main concern was the 100,000 residents we have in this town," Raleigh said at the meeting.